Diet pill marketers hit with false ad fines

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday it fined marketers of such popular over-the-counter diet drugs as Xenadrine EFX and TrimSpa millions of dollars for using false advertising practices.

The government agency, which settled the claims for $25 million, said that the pills that made weight loss and weight control claims were not supported by scientific evidence.

As part of the the settlement, the government said the marketers promised to limit future advertising claims.

"You won't find weight loss in a bottle of pills that claims it has the latest scientific breakthrough or miracle ingredient," FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras said in a prepared statement. "Paying for fad science is a good way to lose cash, not pounds."

Besides Xenadrine EFX and TrimSpa, the FTC said it also settled false advertising claims with the marketers of CortiSlim and Bayer AG's (down $0.17 to $54.11, Charts) One-A-Day WeightSmart.

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